Get rid of the minimum wage and reduce benefit payments over a period of time i.e. sliding scale depending on length of claiming – the result would be very little unemployment in a couple of years time. More tax collected, less public sector workers needed and the level of wages determined by the market place - simple really but no political party has the balls to do it.

When it comes to categorising employment there should be a new category introduced. It should be called the "self-unemployed". I know of many people, particularly people over 50, who have been made redundant and are calling themselves "self employed. The reality is that they are surviving by eating into their severance payments, savings, borrowing, or taking their pension early. Anything to keep their heads above water financially. After a career in one sector these people are not well equipped to handle the range of tasks it takes to be self-employed and after the initial excitement wears off find they are chasing shadows and working long hours for little pay, if at all. I think it is a scandal as many people in this position have few options. Forgive me for being negative but an increase in self employment now means that in future years we will see an increase in personal bankruptcies.

the cost of getting unemployment down to this stage . 375 billion in quantitive easing .. Another 600 billion in borrowing . The bottom line is this recovery is unsustainable and the true picture will be shown when this money has to be paid back

We must all hope that there is no return to a Labour government next year otherwise there will be a return to high unemployment and many people relying on the state for their money as happened under the last about government, p,us if we vote Tory we get a chance to get out of the EEC

marvellous news, all we need now is wage rises which have stalled for 6 years running. This will enable people to pay for their increase in mortgages whence the interest rates are pulled up this autumn. It will also be a breath of fresh air for the taxpayers as DWP staff can be reduced accordingly, unless thes figures are manipulated.

Pay is down by 0.2% if you include bonuses but up 0.6% if you strip bonuses out of the equation. But last year was an exceptional year so you are not really comparing like for like. All this on the same day it is announced that immigration from the EU states, particularity Romania and Bulgaria are at an all time high. We now have over 1.83million from the EU working in this country. They obviously see this as a good place to work as there has been an 11% jump in the number of EU immigrants for the first 3 months of 2014. Although they may be playing their part in driving up the economy they are undoubtedly having a negative effect in keeping wages low. Until we can control emigration from the EU to the UK, wages in the low skilled sector are only going to get worse for the indigenous population. Labour`s cost of living diatribe is really a load of old tosh. The problem is with unfettered immigration form the EU states keeping wages artificially low. I predict the situation will become intolerably uncomfortable on the lead up to the 2015 election for Labour and they will have no option but to agree to an inout referendum.

falls in unemployment are always good news . But why are white british youth facing racial discrimination in finding jobs . Employers are given grants of 2500 pounds to employ ethnic minorities . Yet nothing to employ white british youth . How can this be fair.

On here I always go back to the time when I was unemployed a couple of years ago. After 6 months I was told to attend a two day course in job application skills despite the fact that I had worked for 37 years and always found work. On the course were 30 people, many had come off long term disability i.e they had been rumbled. Speaking with some of them I had the impression that they had no intention of ever working again. At the end of the course those who had travelled by public transport with relevant tickets could reclaim. Only 3 of us did so. All the others had come in by car.

Oh the Tory Sheep. This reduction in job figures is as always manipulated. Zero Hour contracts and Work Placement and Workfarce Programmes add to the drop but technically those on Work Placements are still being paid their benefit for 40 hrs a week so working illegally as £72.40 % 40 = £1.81 per hour well less than the minimum wage of £6.31 per hour. Would you work for that Blister? I doubt you or any of your family or friends would. Yet again reasonal jobs have helped the figures, once winter comes all those Seaside type Jobs will be no more, but then that increase in figures will not be highlighted as much cause the Government paints a very distorted picture of reality. I know of one organisation in Norwich takes on about 10 staff a week, and also gets rid of the same number. It's all designed to fool people, and I am sure the organisation is in cahoots with the Jobcentre and DWP to create an endless number of vacancies. For one I am not fooled by these figures, but plenty of fools are !

"Average earnings fell by 0.2% in the year to June, due to an unusually high growth rate a year ago. Excluding bonuses, pay was 0.6% higher than a year ago" Here we go again. '...fell by 2%...' 2% of what ?. What is the base figure of the bonuses to get the 6% higher ?. how many were taken off the unemployment list, due to finding work, sanctions, going on a slave centre plus course, etc etc.

Yet again Archant fails to say why the numbers are falling. Zero Hr Contracts, Work Placement Programmes. People in work ie on part time hrs, still claim other Benefits such as Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, also they have their income topped up with Social Security Benefits especially if they are only doing 5-8 hours a week on minimum wage or who have to claim full JSA or Income Support cause they are again Archant ! On a Zero Hour contract and have had no work. Stop painting a distorted pictures about the Job Figures, you clearly are following the Government line on this subject again. I suggest you speak to the many people who have been pushed out of their full time, long established jobs to then see fresh staff come in under new terms yep you've guessed it zero hour contracts. I can tell you a place where about 10 staff join one week only for 10 staff who have been there only a few weeks or months are let go for varying reasons. Clearly cannot name them but it goes on. Something the Reporters never seem to investigate.